[2][3] It argues that the French nation state has suffered a gradual decline since the 1970s, which Zemmour mainly attributes to the rise of immigration, feminism and egalitarianism, as well as the erosion of traditional values.

He expresses criticism of many developments that have affected French society and the French economy since the 1970s, including birth control, sexual liberation, women's right, gay rights, abortion, Muslim communitarianism, gender studies, monetary policy, the European Union, no-fault divorce, deconstruction and poststructuralism, privatization, the euro, American consumer capitalism, immigration from Africa, halal foods in schools, neoliberalism, and the end of conscription.

"[9] According to the BBC, Zemmour's ideas echoed the post-War illusory belief, now commonly referred to as the "sword and shield" theory, that Pétain and De Gaulle had been tacitly acting in concert to protect France.

He also noted that some of Zemmour's ideas were "simply too eclectic to be labeled": for instance, The French Suicide criticizes the corporate world for outsourcing jobs abroad and "pushing for full European integration", arguments that are similar to those of the left-wing antiglobalization movement.

He also contended that the book's success rested on its ability to provide a clear and global explanation for France's woes, in a society that has trouble coming to terms with the world's complexity and which lacks a collective project.

[8] The book was the subject of a heated hour-long televised debate between Zemmour and journalists Aymeric Caron and Léa Salamé on the talk show On n'est pas couché on 6 October 2014.